Learning Electronic Circuit Design

[CraigM]

Looking for advice and recommendations.

I'm interested in learning about electronics and circuits and would like to find a good self teaching course or something that is hands on and takes a “learn by doing” approach. I have a basic understanding of circuits and I've been rereading my old copy of Getting Started in Electronics by Forrest Mims but I have zero hands on experience building anything but the most simple of circuits.

I'd like to start with a breadboard and component assortment and follow a few simple project schematics to obtain a better understanding of what makes things work… or not work.

I also need to purchase a good soldering iron or solder station. Anyone with recommendations here please chime in. A big part of this would also include soldering practice.

Projects I'm interested in building: Ghurd controller, LED driver circuit, buck circuit and other circuits related to RE.

This is on a hobby/learning scale with intentions to build on the basics before moving on to larger RE projects. If you have pointers, suggestions or advice it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Everyone,
Craig

[Frank S]

Back in the day Radio shack, Tandy electronics or the daddy of them all Heathkit. would have been the first choices by many.
 Radio shack  has recently reintroduced a back to basics approach to their product line with several  projects in kit form. Heathkit has returned as well with a couple of kits.
 If I were inclined to learn electronics I think I might start with a simple kit from radio shack in fact I was looking at a 200 in 1 project kit for one of my grand daughters a while back
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=28733516

[madlabs]

Radio shack used to sell books by Forrest Mims which are fanbtastic. I don't know if they still sell them but you can find them for sure. Lots of great projects, well explained and use common parts available at Rat Shack. The book on science and sensors is awesome! Tons of great things to build.

And then the "What's a microcontroller" kit from Parallax is fantastic if you want to learn about programmable electronics. Well laid out and easy to understand and again you can  build a ton of cool stuff. I have taught tons of kids using those kits.

Jonathan

[SparWeb]

Firstly, the Forrest Mims books are still out there.  He even has a fun website, for those interested in... um... almost everything you can imagine.

As for building stuff for practice, you can go in a lot of directions; certainly the Heath kits is one way.  Also look at Solarbotics, Adafruit, Arduino, and Picaxe where I have had a lot of success finding things that are fun / educational / useful / all of the above.  The modern way to make stuff work is to program a microcontroller to do a task, whereas in the past, people learned how to build their circuits with basic components and various IC's to achieve a specific result.  I've been on the microcontroller road for a while, but along the way I learnedhow to add a few amplifiers and low-pass filters here and there, so I'm ahead on both counts now.  I still don't like soldering together things that don't work, so I still spend a very long time designing and figuring things out to the Nth degree, even when building a second one would be faster.

For pure soldering practice, just pick up the blinking LED lapel pins or similar cheap educational kits.  I've done a few; kids love them.

For a bit more theory, broken down into digestible chunks, visit www.allaboutcircuits.com.  There are others like it.

Great visualizations/animations/simulations of simple and complex circuits: http://www.falstad.com/circuit/e-index.html
If you download the package you can write your own sims.

[SparWeb]

Oh yeah - for soldering I'm really happy with my Weller 50 Watt unit with adjustable temperature.
Buy solder that is suitable for electronics, not the stuff for copper pipe!  I shop at an electronics store that sells both (ask me how I know that!)
Soldering also requires a good work surface, things to hold your work as you put it together (clothes pins, tape, needle-nose vice-grips, etc.) and give yourself lots of LIGHT.  I have 2 desk lamps going when I solder.

[Bruce S]

I have to agree with SparWeb;
Get a good soldering iron/station, I use some of the less expensive ones to quick stuff I have both a 30 watt for general electronics and a 100 watt for batt pack related stuff, but mostly use my Weller soldering station for board (including GHURD controller) building.
Another item would be a 3rd hand device, I use the cheapo one from Harbor Freight, that has the magnifying glass and LED light, has save me countless burns  .
All about circuits is a very handy website, I still use it as a reference guide!
Once you get into build LED circuits, one of the best EVER is on the forum , written by Commanda.
here's the link to part 1: http://www.fieldlines.com/index.php/topic,131213.0.html
I point it to people all the time.
Have fun! It can get addictive !!

[CraigM]

Thanks everyone for the comments. I've done my research on the internet and had a good idea of what I was looking for but wanted a few ideas from experienced folks to help clarify my decisions. There are a lot of choices out there but I think I'll start with a breadboard and a selection of components, or pick up with a prepackaged circuit kit to get my feet wet.

Also, the website www.allaboutcircuits.com is a great resource. Thanks for pointing this out.

Keep the electrons flowing,
Craig

[tanner0441]

Hi

A post script to what has already been said. Learn to identify components at a glance, resistor colour codes, capacitor marking etc. There is nothing worse than if a circuit doesn't work trying to troubleshoot and having to refer to a book for component ID and most first time failures are because you have a wrong value component or a diode or capacitor in backwards. It still happens even after years of working with electronics, believe me, been there have the hat and T shirt.

Also a good pair magnifying lenses, the type that you wear on your head, and a SSD wrist strap and low voltage DC powered soldering iron.

I still tend to prototype on Vero Board, it is cheap so you can do a use once and bin it strategy. I buy the biggest sheet I can get and cut bits off it.

Finally IC sockets until you are proficient and fast at soldering, you can also use the chips for other projects.

Brian.

[DamonHD]

Plug-in breadboard then Vero board and sometimes then PCB has been my development route.

Rgds

Damon

[ruddycrazy]

Hi CraigM,
                 One forum which can really help you out is http://www.electro-tech-online.com/, that is a great forum for learning and with the articles and blogs will give you a good heads up on some basic stuff.

Regards Bryan

[Mary B]

I can recommend one of these cheap kits to learn to solder/desolder on http://www.makershed.com/product_p/mkel2.htm  Get a good quality variable temperature solder station, not a cheap 30 watt pencil. And the new lead free solder is nasty, try to find 60/40 lead solder.

[john8750]

Hi Greg.
Much agree with the others.
I use a Weller 13 watt for PC board work. But the tips are expensive, when I can find them. Radio shack makes a fair 15/30 watt but the tip is a bit large.
Use a holder with a damp sponge, and get a solder sucker, and the copper wool tip cleaner.
Use a very thin electronic solder. Clean the circuit board with 400 sand paper.
Start with something simple, go slow , and keep the fun in it.

You could try a community college for  basic electronics or electronic assembly courses. 
Hope to help you.

John Smith

[JW]

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3814337
http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Started-Electronics-Forrest-Mims/dp/0945053282

[Mary B]

http://www.electronicstheory.com/ starts with the very basics and goes on, even covers vacuum tubes which are still used in some applications